E-program

[Martinho II]

I cant believe Im posting this but Im rather disappointed that Waterford FC didnt sell physical programs last night. They had stewards walking around with the QR code to scan it. Only that I asked I wouldnt have known as Im not familar with using QR codes on my phone.

Any other loi clubs doing it and whats other fans thoughts?

Imo I think it dehumanifies the whole match experience imo!

[dundalkfc10]

I cant believe Im posting this but Im rather disappointed that Waterford FC didnt sell physical programs last night. They had stewards walking around with the QR code to scan it. Only that I asked I wouldnt have known as Im not familar with using QR codes on my phone.

Any other loi clubs doing it and whats other fans thoughts?

Imo I think it dehumanifies the whole match experience imo!

Dundalk recently said they decided to continue doing programme this year but if the sales didn't increase they would consider going to online programme next season.
They said it cost them money last season to run it as well as alot of time for a few people (some who do it voluntary)

[outspoken]

I cant believe Im posting this but Im rather disappointed that Waterford FC didnt sell physical programs last night. They had stewards walking around with the QR code to scan it. Only that I asked I wouldnt have known as Im not familar with using QR codes on my phone.

Any other loi clubs doing it and whats other fans thoughts?

Imo I think it dehumanifies the whole match experience imo!

I'm afraid you may get used to it because I can see the vast majority of clubs going this way. Printing costs are too high and less people buying them than 10 years ago. With FAI connect now I really wouldn't miss a match programme

[pineapple stu]

We did QR codes last year for a bit - we'd been doing a digital programme over covid and it was the obvious thing to do with crowd restrictions at the start.

Proved unreliable so we went back to printed. We make a small margin on them, albeit teams/press/officials/etc are given the online version as the cost of freebies really adds up.

Certainly fewer people are buying but I'm surprised at clubs with multiples of our crowd figures (Shels being another one) dropping them.

It's a lot of work (hence why we dropped back to a monthly magazine rather than one programme per match) but that doesn't change with online programmes of course

[Poor Student]

People by and large don't buy or read printed media hence you'll see the newspaper and magazine sections in many shops are completely hollowed out in terms of both volume and choice. There's no reason why programmes won't go the same way. There's nothing contained within them that can't be accessed online. They only serve as a collectible and younger generations are not interested in collecting them.

I wouldn't describe it as dehumanising. They're produced by and for humans. At least to date they have been. I'm sure ChatGPT could give it a stab though.

[D24Saint]

I think the old fashioned programme format will die out in the near future. I was a big collector years ago and I don’t even buy them anymore. There is so much information available from clubs on YouTube and social media that you learn very little from reading them. Our history section was probably the best article for years now.

[Nesta99]

I will miss them if/when they go. A beer at HT or FT reading the programme is part of my routine and even next day. We have been very lucky in Oriel that there is plenty of reading in our programme. Scrolling on the phone wont be the same. Kids watch full movies on their phone nowadays so I get the change and saving of cost but on the phone a teamsheet would be enough for me. E-programmes were sent out to Patreon members yet I still bought the printed version. I wouldnt bother paying for an online version home or away if that was the plan, without printing costs to be covered.

[pineapple stu]

You wonder is there a way programmes can be made more relevant? We have ours free online (https://www.ucdfc.ie/programme) as well as for sale at the game - regulars seem to prefer the printed copy and are happy to pay for it (lots of comments to that effect since it came back last April), but free online is a bit like a free sample which we can plug on social and might then become a habit on matchday. At least you have an idea what you're spending money on as some programmes can be hit-and-miss.

I guess a bit of fan interaction helps too? Fan profiles or updates on club tournaments (fantasy football, etc) or local club news?

[sbgawa]

The Rovers programme is very good with lots of content but it (or so im told) barely covers costs, and thats putting no value on the hours and hours of work that some of the excelnet people involved put in.
I think its inevitable that they will die out though, the younger generation dont buy any hard copies of anything.

[pineapple stu]

I don't understand how Rovers are barely covering costs?

Ye must sell a few hundred a game, no?

Obviously that's valuing people's time as free which isn't exact but that's the LoI for you

[culloty82]

You wonder is there a way programmes can be made more relevant? We have ours free online (https://www.ucdfc.ie/programme) as well as for sale at the game - regulars seem to prefer the printed copy and are happy to pay for it (lots of comments to that effect since it came back last April), but free online is a bit like a free sample which we can plug on social and might then become a habit on matchday. At least you have an idea what you're spending money on as some programmes can be hit-and-miss.

I guess a bit of fan interaction helps too? Fan profiles or updates on club tournaments (fantasy football, etc) or local club news?

Perhaps if a certain percentage of proceeds were allocated to a chosen local charity for each issue, fans might be more inclined to part with their fiver?

[Martinho II]

Yeah its a pity its a sign of the times we are living in. Even Waterfords online version only had 12 pages at least a quarter of it was ads. Sad day for football. whats it like across in the UK is that gone eprograms now or what?

[brendy_éire]

Derry have had e-programs for years, along with the physical copies too.
I think the market for the e-programs is usually non-match goers.
The production cost for the physical program is entirely covered by advertising revenue, so it's as easy as profit as you can get. Assuming there remains the volunteers to produce it, you'd imagine it'll be in place well into the future.

Absolutely get why clubs are producing physical copies any more though, and I'd handily switch to the e-version if it comes to it.